In “The Madonna of Temple Beth Elohim,” an Iraq war veteran returns from battle to find that his old life has left him behind and that a temporary job working at a synagogue may prove to be his salvation when the Virgin Mary appears on the eve of the Jewish high holidays. In “My Darling Sweetheart Baby,” a working-class drunk waits on his stoop for his disability cheque and the courage to finally proclaim his love to a local prostitute. In the title story “There Is No Other,” a rage-filled Jewish boy, tormented by his African lineage, arrives at a school Purim party dressed as the prophet Mohammed, demanding difficult answers from his hapless teacher.
Magical, erotic, spiritually penetrating and terrifyingly realistic, these provocative stories continue to mark Papernick as a storyteller who passionately writes in the tradition of Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth and Nathan Englander. There Is No Other is sure to resonate with readers.
“It would be enough to say that Jon Papernick is an utterly original writer–one who doesn’t rely on gimmicks, but rather on amazingly real characters and consistently page-turning plots. But, There is No Other is even better than that: Every single story here delivers a knock-out punch that will leave you reeling long after you’ve put it down–and revising your thinking on what life and love really mean.”
“Jon Papernick writes with tremendous passion about the downside of love,sex, and faith. The characters in this fearless collection are lovely and desperate and (like all of us) unforgettably stung by the world of their own disappointments.”
Steve Almond, author of My Life in Heavy Metal and Candyfreak.
“Papernick writes about life, not literature. Every story deepens our understanding of humanity and leaves us just a little bit smarter.”
Michael Wex, Best-selling author of Born to Kvetch.
This is a small representation of the high-quality writings you’ll find in every issue of TIFERET.
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